This invention relates to fishing reels and, more particularly, to a brake or drag for the line spool of a fishing reel.
In typical prior art fishing reels, of which the fishing reel disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,869 issued Apr. 8, 1980 to Shepherd is an example, a brake or drag is provided for the line spool which includes a number of small annular elements contained within the hub of the spool and arranged to be pressed into frictional contact with the interior surfaces of the spool. Because of the relatively small size of the drag elements in comparison with the size of the spool, and because of the materials normally used for the drag elements, relatively large pressures have had to be applied over the area of engagement between the brake elements and the spool. As a result, when the spool has been caused to rotate by forces exceeding the holding force of the drag, as when the force of a fish running with the fishing line has caused the rotation of the spool, a substantial heat build-up has occurred.